Focus: God Knows Where Your Barley Field Is!

Text: 2Sam.14:30

"Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire."

Absalom killed Amnon his brother for raping Tamar his sister. When the news reached David their father and king, Absalom fled to a strange land - the land of Geshur ruled by Talmai, the son of Ammihud. So his father David had him banished from Jerusalem for years. But after three years of banishment, Joab pleaded with the king for Absalom's restoration, and the king obliged him.

Absalom then returned to Jerusalem, to his personal residence, but David his father banned him from the palace and from his presence. And the Scripture says, "So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face" (2Sam.14:28). That is a total of five years of being away from his father and family.

Absalom could no longer bear the situation of being so close to his father, yet so far away from him. He longed to see his father once again and to be in his presence. He made efforts to that effect, but to no avail. Joab was his father's right hand man, and so he sought his attention to serve the purpose of reconciling him with his father, but Joab was too busy to pay attention or attend to him. It was then that desperate Absalom decided to do something out of the ordinary. He found out that Joab's barley field was next to his. So he sent his men to set Joab's field on fire.

There's an adage in my place that says, 'If a young woman has not acted like she's crazy, she will not find a husband.' Absalom was desperate and so he acted crazy by burning Joab's farmland with all the crops in it. All he wanted was Joab's attention. Seeing his field on fire he had no choice but go to Absalom. At last Absalom got what he wanted. The Scripture says, "So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom" (2Sam.14:33).

God knows where your barely field is, and He is ready to do anything to get your attention. Don't let God go as far as burning up your stuff before you can attend to Him. Nothing you do in this life is as important as being in or practicing God's presence and going about His business.

Grow your appetite for God! Be hungry enough for the things of the Spirit! It is possible for us to get too busy for things pertaining to God that we forget God Himself.

Let's get passionate about God like David! He says, "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple" (Ps.27:4). Again he says, "Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me" (Ps.51:11). The psalmist also says, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" (Ps.42:1).

Mend your ways! Reconcile with God! Seek His face and get back into fellowship with Him! Practice the presence of God and be refreshed in your soul. The place to be is in the presence of your King. You need His kiss, His forgiveness, and His love. 

Why be for so long in Jerusalem and not see the face of the King? Why go to church every day and not experience the touch of His presence and power? Empty religion cannot satisfy.

Check if any of your barley fields is already set on fire! Is anything burning around you? Are you feeling the heat of a loss? The absence of God is the presence of a strange fire. Avoid it by all means! He knows where our 'barley fields' are - the things we hold dear and love most, and He knows what to do to get our attention.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter